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PREFACE.

ANOTHER year, dear young friends, is almost gone, and you are now receiving the last number of the Missionary Newspaper for 1857.

In thinking of the past year, and what it has done for Missions, there is much to encourage us. We have Dr Livingstone's wonderful discoveries in Africa, which have made us acquainted with new nations and tribes, all ready to receive our Missionaries. We hear of islands in the South Seas becoming obedient to the faith of the Gospel; and, nearer home, there are many in Turkey and Armenia gladly receiving the Word of God, and giving up their old superstitions. Let us thank God for these signs that He is still with our Missionaries, and is blessing their labours.

But, in other respects, the year 1857 has been a sad one. Who can forget India, where faithful Missionaries have been murdered, Christian mothers and their little children slaughtered-where so many of the native Christians have been called on to seal their testimony with their blood? Does it not seem as if a dark cloud had fallen upon our Indian Missions? And yet, if these terrible calamities should arouse British Christians to labour more, and pray more for India, these troubles will not have been in vain. Let us pray that God may bring good out of this evil.

And now, young reader, let me ask you, what do you intend to do for Missions in the year 1858? You have read of many ways in which other children are helping in Missionary work; will you come forward and help them? I only ask you to do what you can. That may not be very much, but it is all that the Lord requires of you. Ah, if all the Christian men, women, and children of this country would only begin at once to do what they could, what a mighty change would soon be wrought upon the world! Satan might well tremble upon his usurped throne, and fear that his time would be short.

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There is one way in which children might help forward the Missionary cause, and of which you have heard less than of some other plans, such as Collecting, Missionary Sewing Meetings, &c. The plan I mean is thisWhen you have read your own Missionary Newspaper or Magazine, lend it to some one else. If you can persuade other people to read about Missions, you will be doing good; and why? Because, the more they read about the heathen and Missionaries, the more interest they will take in them! And what we want is, that every one shall feel an interest in the Mission cause, which is Christ's cause. A young man in America read the Memoirs of the Missionaries, Elliott and Brainerd; and what was the consequence? Why, that young man said, "I too will go to the heathen." He went, and a noble Missionary he was, and his example has stirred up others too to follow in his footsteps, and forsake all for Christ. Now, see what good the reading of those Missionaries' Memoirs did.

December 1857.

F. W. I.

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